Police are commonly called upon to effect an arrest. In some cases the person being arrested is unwilling to cooperate and must be secured against escape or harmful actions. In other cases a prisoner may be particularly dangerous, or have other associated risks which indicate the need to secure the prisoner even though escape or harmful actions are not being demonstrated.
Handcuffs are commonly used and provide significant restraint of a prisoner's hands thereby reducing the risk of hitting or manual operation of guns or other weapons. However, handcuffs alone do nothing to prevent a prisoner from using his feet and legs. The power of the legs make them very effective weapons. A kicking prisoner is capable of inflecting serious injury and causing significant damage. The prisoner who is merely handcuffed also is free to run and escape.
Previously it has been known that a foot restraint can be employed to disable a prisoner from using his legs and feet. Prior foot restraints have utilized a chain which is connected about the ankles and then trained up the prisoner's back and is connected to the handcuffs. Such prior foot restraints have been difficult to use in that they tend to become loosened about the ankles. They also are difficult to connect to the handcuffs of a prisoner, particularly when the prisoner is resisting arrest such as by writhing and struggling against constraint by the arresting police officers.
Thus there has long been a need in the art for a prisoner restraint system which is effective at securing feet, legs, arms and hands, and which is relatively easy to install upon a person resisting arrest.